Please provide the text you would like me to translate.

Time passed swiftly, and the days unfolded in quiet harmony. Under the glow of beautiful expectations, everything moved smoothly forward. Xiao Ya Xian’s career advanced step by step; no matter how busy she became, she handled her daily tasks with ease. As her experience deepened, she gradually grew into a seasoned financial investment consultant and a young hedge fund analyst.

Within the spacious offices of Abundance Fund Company, every fund manager was ceaselessly busy, racing against time to make the right trades. Some rejoiced at the hefty profits they earned, while others suffered losses—one wrong move in the market could spell disaster. Though Xiao Ya Xian was new, she displayed a calm, mature composure and repeatedly set new records for profits. The company’s chairman praised her frequently.

A graduate student from the finance department, Xiao Ya Xian started work rather late, having spent her postgraduate years engaging with industry mentors and participating in institutional trading. Thus, it was only after a long search that she found her position at Abundance Fund Company, joining at nearly twenty-seven. Yet, in less than a year, her career soared, her performance repeatedly breaking records. In just nine short months, she moved into her own private office.

Next door was Jason’s office. Jason was a senior technical analyst at Abundance, having joined three years prior. His business acumen and performance had always outpaced other veteran analysts—he was a prodigy. Yet in the past year, the newcomer Xiao Ya Xian consistently outperformed him, her results always edging ahead. The annual highest performance award likely wouldn’t be his this year, and he felt a pang of resentment. How could a newcomer, only months into the company, already have her own private office? The chairman indeed seemed partial—he himself had to strive for three years before earning such treatment. Through the glass door, Jason glimpsed Xiao Ya Xian and couldn’t help but show a trace of disdain.

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Switching to daytime, October 24th, 2020, at the SNS Research Center—

Huo Lun was debugging system connections with a programmer; two hospital beds could be seen in the blurry background—the scene was hazy, and only Huo Lun and the programmer could be seen clearly, absorbed in their work.

The programmer, after a round of debugging, exclaimed, “This AI system is remarkably well-made—almost indistinguishable from a real person!”

Huo Lun, with precise seriousness, corrected him, “It’s not artificial intelligence. She is a real person.” With that, he continued to scrutinize the details of the system connection.

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In the blink of an eye, four more years passed. Xiao Ya Xian transformed from a twenty-seven-year-old seasoned trader into a thirty-one-year-old senior analyst. In just over four years, she achieved career success, made profitable investments, and earned the admiration of her boss. Her professional life was thriving, and her personal life equally so—she had a loving marriage, a happy family, and a three-year-old daughter just starting kindergarten.

No one could be luckier—she was triumphant in career, love, and family, truly a winner in life.

One sunny morning—

The beautiful Lake View Mountain Scenic Area was the most famous attraction in Emerald City. The area featured a lush green lake surrounded by rolling hills, with breathtaking scenery and exceptionally fresh, oxygen-rich air that attracted hikers and tourists. Atop the hill stood the Mountain Pavilion, spacious and grand, offering views of hundreds of rare birds and flowers.

On this day, halfway up the mountain under the highway, a white compact van appeared, stalled and unmoving. A person emerged, of medium build and slender—seemingly a woman. She wore a white hooded sweatshirt, the hood pulled up, thick black trousers, and gray-and-white sneakers. She was wrapped tightly from head to toe, her appearance completely obscured.

She circled the vehicle several times, as if searching for something, but found nothing. She began to realize she needed help, yet no one passed by. She looked up at the highway above; perhaps she could find someone there. Since there was no walkway or steps, she had to climb. Only on the highway could she hope to find a passerby to help her.

Early that morning, outside the kindergarten, Xiao Ya Xian brought her adorable daughter to school. As she watched her daughter enter, a woman called out behind her—it was Miss Lin, a colleague from the company. Miss Lin was only an acquaintance, someone Xiao Ya Xian knew by sight, not a close colleague. With so many departments, they didn’t work together, and Xiao Ya Xian couldn’t recall which department Miss Lin belonged to. Yet Miss Lin seemed eager to get close, often purposefully approaching her. Xiao Ya Xian always responded with polite greetings, as she did this morning.

“Is that your daughter? She’s so cute,” Miss Lin said, approaching with a faint smile that didn’t reach her eyes, leaving Xiao Ya Xian uneasy.

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“Miss Lin? You pass by here too?” Xiao Ya Xian turned, surprised. She had guessed who it was upon hearing her voice, but she disliked running into colleagues outside of work, so pretended not to notice. She found Miss Lin’s smile unsettling, though she couldn’t pinpoint why.

Miss Lin replied, “Yes, I often walk this way. Funny we’ve never met until now.” She glanced at Xiao Ya Xian’s daughter, now walking away, and added, “Your daughter doesn’t really look like you—must take after her father?” Her mention of Xiao Ya Xian’s daughter, with a hint of interrogative tone, made Xiao Ya Xian uncomfortable. She kept her composure, reluctant to engage, but since they often met at work, couldn’t be rude. After a pause, she replied,

“Why not? I think she looks quite like me.” She deliberately studied Miss Lin’s reaction. Miss Lin’s expression became inscrutable. Xiao Ya Xian, not particularly sensitive, nevertheless found Miss Lin’s demeanor odd and hard to decipher.

At that moment, Xiao Ya Xian’s phone chimed—a reminder to visit a client.

“Miss Lin, I have urgent business to attend to. Let’s chat another time,” Xiao Ya Xian said.

“Sure, let’s talk later,” Miss Lin replied.

Xiao Ya Xian hurried off, while Miss Lin’s smile lingered, even more peculiar.

On the highway above Lake View Mountain Scenic Area, from a bird’s eye view, a figure wrapped head to toe was walking along the road—the same woman who had climbed up from the hillside. Her age was indiscernible, though she was clearly female. She walked a long distance, seeing neither cars nor people.

After visiting her client, Xiao Ya Xian took a shortcut back to the company, passing through the Lake View Mountain Scenic Area’s highway. Driving along the road, she soon noticed someone walking on the highway—a rare sight, especially halfway up a mountain, and on foot. She slowed as she passed, watching in the rearview mirror as the person trudged along, clearly exhausted. Xiao Ya Xian reversed the car and stopped beside her.

“Are you heading down the mountain?” Xiao Ya Xian asked, lowering the window.

The woman said nothing, only nodded.

Her attire was odd—wrapped so tightly that even her face was hidden, only her eyes faintly visible. It was impossible to judge her appearance or age, though she was clearly female.

Feeling sympathy, Xiao Ya Xian wondered if she was lost. “Few cars pass by here. If you walk down the mountain, it’ll be nightfall before you get there. If you don’t mind, I can give you a ride.”

The woman nodded and got in, without hesitation.

In the car, they sat in silence for a moment. Xiao Ya Xian couldn’t help but ask, “Where are you headed? I mean, where should I drop you off after we go down?”

“I don’t know where I’m going,” the woman replied.

Her voice was low and hoarse, as if she hadn’t spoken for a long time—or perhaps her throat was parched from lack of water. Xiao Ya Xian thought of this and handed her a bottle of water from the back seat.

“Are you lost?” Xiao Ya Xian asked.

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After a sip of water, the woman said slowly, “I can’t remember anything.”

Xiao Ya Xian thought she misheard and checked the rearview mirror, still unable to see her face. “...You’ve lost your memory?”

“It seems so. I can’t recall anything. I don’t remember who I am...” The woman began to mutter to herself, as if speaking only for her own ears.

Xiao Ya Xian felt increasingly unsettled. What strange encounters was she having today?

“Do you remember where you came from just now?” she asked.

“Below...in the car. I climbed up from below,” the woman replied.

“You mean the hillside beneath the highway?” Xiao Ya Xian clarified.

“Probably,” she nodded.

“Are you cold?” Xiao Ya Xian asked, puzzled by her attire.

“...I don’t know.” The woman looked down at herself. “I can’t remember why I’m dressed like this.” She pulled up her sleeve and found her arm wrapped in white gauze; her whole arm was bandaged, giving her the eerie appearance of a mummy.

Xiao Ya Xian shivered involuntarily, wondering if she’d encountered something supernatural. But it was midday—surely nothing like that could happen! She silently recited a Buddhist prayer.

“Are you hurt?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t feel anything.” The woman loosened the gauze for a look.

Xiao Ya Xian caught a glimpse of her hand beneath the bandage—it was a bloody, mangled mess! She jumped in fright, slamming on the brakes.

“I should take you to the hospital. How could this happen...” she said, meeting the woman’s gaze, trying desperately to discern her features. But—she still couldn’t see anything except those eyes, faintly visible, offering only the slightest glimpse. The woman herself seemed lost, her eyes filled with bewilderment—

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